VIDEO: Knockout artist Canelo Alvarez has us nursing our jaws after crushing KO of James Kirkland

Canelo Alvarez has provided the much needed pick-me-up in the wake of the WTF moment known as MayPac last weekend.

It was always going to be a slugfest when Alvarez, whose latest knockout moves his record to 45-1-1 (32 KOs), met James Kirkland who himself had 28 stoppage wins under his belt. The pair of super-welterweights exchanged early on but it was the American whose chin gave way first as he was dropped in the opening round. Kirkland could find no response for Alvarez's furious flurries that also sent his opponent to the canvas in the third round before landing a picture-perfect right hand that finished the evening off. https://youtu.be/LehQX1bbGQk It gives hope to the sport of boxing which many were saying was in turmoil after Floyd Mayweather executed a perfect defensive strategy to work towards an altogether underwhelming decision victory in the so-called fight of the century. Alvarez's latest win, his third consecutive victory since falling to Mayweather in 2013, sets up the intriguing prospect of a meeting with WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto later this year. Whatever about Canelo's future, we're more concerned about James Kirkland who will struggle big time chewing his Corn Flakes this morning.